Bad Decisions
by booksonarainyday
Summary: What will happen when Clary and the gang are accidentally transported to London 1877 where they face challenges they have never before encountered? AU, w/Good!Jonathan.


Hi everyone, this is my first story, so please tell me what you think!

 **Disclaimer:** Cassandra Clare owns The Mortal Instruments series, and therefore anything recognisable.

There will be some minor spoilers for The Infernal Devices later in this story, so I recommend reading at least Clockwork Angel before reading this.

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 **Edge of Nowhere**

"What do you mean 'can't do it'?" Jace asked as he sat down on one of the broad steps of the Institute staircase.

"I mean, England is seriously far away, and I have never even been there before. How the hell do you think I'm going to be able to find a Warlock on the streets of London when he doesn't even want to be found?" Clary answered with a smirk forming on her mouth, "Besides if Magnus wanted you four to follow him, he wouldn't have left you back at the Institute."

Alec brushes a hand through his hair in a rough motion. His ears turned pink at the tips, and Clary felt a rush of sudden guilt as she knew her words had bothered him.

"Okay. I'll try." Clary mumbled, but there was a clear reluctant tone in her voice as she pulled the silver twig of a stele out of her pocket.

"But just as you know it, I don't think it will work." Clary clarified with the four other teenagers in the room.

"Yeah, yeah." Jace's voice was relaxed, bored even, as he swirled his index finger around motioning for her to hurry up. "You have already told us that, darling." he said in a deep voice, "but do you really think any of us are falling for it?"

"Falling for what?" Clary smirked, her voice mirroring his.

Jace had recovered himself from the careless position he was in by the stairs as he spoke. Now he was walking over to Clary, taking her hand in his, sending a jet of sparks running over Clary's skin. His lips curled upwards as he noticed her gaze had fallen to his mouth, "What do you say, you just draw that damn portal and stop doubting yourself like you don't already know you are going to get it done." He drew in a long breath before continuing, "You see, our friend over here," he pointed at Alec, "he's quite desperate."

"I'm not desperate," chuckled Alec embarrassed.

"If you say so," Jace replied, his sarcasm as sharp as ever, before he leaned against Clary, whispering into her ear. "He might not be, but I sure as hell am." The warm, sweet breath of his voice crashed with Clary's skin.

"Jerk," Clary whispered back, spinning the stele between her fingers. "But, I have to say you have definitely caught my interest." He bit her lip as she answered him in the same low voice, so only he could hear her. Her cheeks flushed warm as she spoke.

"Excuse me." It was Isabelle, "You might be oblivious to this, but there is, in fact, three other people in this room, and we are not enjoying whatever this is," she motioned at the two of them with her hands, "As much as you two are."

Clary let out a short breath of a chuckle, "Fine." She answered to no one in particular, "I will _try_ to get you to London." She finished, putting pressure on the word try. She did not think she could do it. It was easy enough to make a portal to somewhere she had been before. That way she could picture everything more vividly in her head before drawing the portal.

It was also different with Idris. Since that was the homeland of the Nephilim, she had a much strong connection to the country itself. She could make a portal leading within the country.

"Well." Clary laughed, "Here goes nothing." She placed the stele against the great floor of the hallway. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the destination. _London. London. Magnus Bane. London. Magnus Bane._

It would have been so much easier for Clary had she only known where to look for Mr Warlock-Boyfriend. However, nothing could ever be that easy. But, what if she tried to picture the Institute? There was an Institute in London, a rather large one at that. She could just try to get them there, and it would all be a lot easier. She had never seen the Institute, but knowing it was a place welcome to all Shadowhunter of the Clave, it should not be difficult for her to summon enough magic into her stele to get there.

 _London Institute. London Institute._ Her mind repeated as she drew the fine lines that spread across the floor when she moved her hand. She felt the familiar rush that ran through her body as she finished the rune.

Iridescent colours blossomed from the dark floor. Pink, blue, green, orange, yellow, every colour imaginable. For people who had never seen Clary's unique rune, it could be a very overwhelming sight. Jace, Isabelle, Alec and Jon, who'd seen the rune in action many times by now, still held their breaths as they watched the portal grow into a large oily hole in the ground. Their eyes fixated on the phenomenon in front of them.

"Okay, so maybe it worked." Clary smiled, watching the four young Shadowhunters grin back at her.

"Maybe?" Isabelle laughed, walking up to her, "Why do you always keep on underestimating yourself, Clary?" Isabelle asked. Her eyes locked on the waves of colours in front of them. One hand slapped against Clary's shoulder, and she swallowed hard to keep from wincing.

She felt Jace touch her lower back guiding her forward. She was certain he had seen the short flash of insecurity that hit Clary. His touch was like a calming, careful guidance away from the imaginable pain Clary felt.

"Are you ready?" he smiled at her, the most genuine smile Clary had seen in a long time. Beautiful. Bright. Jace.

"You bet," Clary answered; pushing her mixed feelings aside for a second.

Clary jumped through her portal.

"Crap!"

The words left her mouth before any of the others could follow her. She knew something was wrong the exact moment her feet connected with the ground. The icy ground she was standing on came as a surprise, and Clary lost balance. As she fell, her head cracked against the ice.

"Crap!" She repeated. There was snow falling from the dark sky around them. Clary felt the cold white flakes meet her skin.

She had to get back up. She had to close the portal before the others could get through it. She had- it was already too late. She saw Jace and Alec crash just as she had when she met the ground. Their feet unable to keep them on both feet.

"NO!" Clary yelled angrily.

"NO DAMN IT!" The dark streets around them echoed her voice.

She felt her head ache from the hard blow against the ice.

"Get back!" She tried to get them to move, but before she could do anything more, Izzy and Jon followed the two boys.

Then, to Clary's horror, the portal closed.

Clary turned around, only hearing Isabelle's baffled curses. She had not crashed to the ground like the others, Jace and Alec catching her before she fell.

"Thanks." She mumbled behind Clary, but the redheaded girl was no longer concentrating on her friends. She looked around. Houses built close together; the walls were touching each other as if it was just one enormous building. Old arc lamps were lighting up the otherwise pitch-black streets. If that was not enough, Clary saw the faint silhouette of a large animal. A horse, it was dragging something behind it, something that looked a lot like a carriage.

Clary heard her brother's voice run through the quiet street, "Clary." His voice was soft, "Where are we?"

Clary turned around to watch him, her expression bemused, "To be honest, Jon, I think we are in London."

Jace let out a short breath, "Not to disappoint you, Clary, but I have been to London before, and this, this ain't it."

Clary had turned to face the horse again, but it was gone. That was when she saw something much more fascinating. Something beautiful. It was lit up like a castle. Even more breathtaking than the New York Institute.

Clary did not know what to think, she had failed them all, and they were not going to find Magnus. She did not even know if she could get them back right away. As she stood still, listening to Jace, Alec, Jon and Izzy mumbling together, she felt her headache grow worse by a tenfold.

Clary knew she sometimes got headaches after performing portals. At first, she had just assumed it was acting up as much as it did because of the fall, but this, it was starting to become unbearable.

"Guys." She whispered, dizziness hitting her in waves. They did not hear her.

"It must be a mistake." "She probably sent us to another city in England." "I think you all overestimated her powers." "Hey, don't say that." "No, look at where we are, Jace! It's true!" The four voices bickering at each other made Clary turn around.

"Guys!" She said again, her heart banging in her chest. Her boot kicked some of the snow that had fallen to the ground.

"Yeah?" Jon was the first one to look up at her, "Oh god, Clary, are you okay?" He asked as he noticed how she was swaying back and forth, just seconds from losing her balance.

"I'm.." Clary did not finish her sentence, Jace and Jon had already run up to her, catching her tired body. "I'm all right." She finished when they were holding her up.

"I can see that," Jon replied, shaking his head.

"But I think I did something awful," Clary mumbled.

"Why do you say that?" Jace asked concerned.

"Because it's never been this bad," Clary answered honestly. She did not know if she had even mentioned the headaches the portals brought. The truth was, she almost did not feel them anymore. At least not when just making a standard portal.

"What's never been this bad?" Jon asked, confirming her silent question. His voice grew more concern with each word that escaped his lips.

"It's just a headache, but it normally doesn't act up as much when I make a normal portal. Damn it. I think I screwed up big time." Clary's sentences were incoherent.

"I'm sure it's fine," Jace's voice was quiet, barely above a breath.

"NO." She answered, shouting.

"No, it's not. You don't understand!" Clary did not know if her anger came from the frustration or the growing pain in her head.

"I sent us to London." Clary lowered her voice. "We are in London."

"No, Clary-" Clary stopped her brother from finishing the sentence, "That's London Institute." She nodded her head in the direction of the vast building before them.

Nobody said anything. As if they had all been tricked by the glamour put up to shield the Institute from oblivious mundanes, they just stared. She was sure they were all keeping silent because they knew she was right. They knew this was London Institute. It was hard to mistake.

"That.. That is impossible." Jace mumbled after a while.

"I have been to London Institute. She's right." Jon announced.

"That is impossible," Alec repeated his parabatai's words.

"Not if I did what I think I did," Clary mumbled.

"And that is?" Isabelle asked.

Clary looked up at her, stars still blinking in the side of her vision. "I," Clary began, unsure how to say what she wanted to tell them, "I think I sent us back in time."

Isabelle laughed at that. Alec eyed her with a suspicious gaze.

"Look around. This isn't the 21st century." Clary protested before they could say anything.

Jace tightened his grip on Clary, "Well, you're obviously not going to be able to get us out of here, wherever the hell 'here' is, so I think we should check it out."

"Are you crazy?" Isabelle asked shocked, before she continued, "You know, stupid question, I want to change it. Do you have a limit to your craziness?"

"Nope," Jace grinned back, sounding far too at ease considering the circumstances, "I just don't want my girlfriend to die in the middle of the streets of London." He said straightforwardly.

"He's got the point," Alec mumbled, "We're not getting anywhere tonight no matter how much we'd like to. The Institute is the safest bet we've got."

"God," Isabelle muttered but followed the four as they started down the street.

Clary had managed to get her balance back, walking on both feet now. Only a soft hand, belonging to Jace, rested on her back.

When they walked down the alleyway, Clary's eyes could finally observe their surroundings a little bit more. She noticed the old buildings. The cobblestone streets. There were even a few people out on the streets.

The Institute met them with a great wooden door. Bigger than the one in the New York Institute. When Jon gripped the handle, she heard something click, opening the door for them.

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